Operation $40K

If you are like us, you LOVE fresh produce but it can be one of the most expensive things in your grocery budget if you don't keep an eye on the seasonal deals. Sure strawberries are yummy - but they are sweeter at $1.00 a pound (in June) than they are at $4.00 a pound in November! Here is a quick list of what should be rock bottom prices by middle of April - it's great to stock up if you can/freeze or simply enjoy as a fresh treat! Keep in mind that simple rule of $1.00 or less for a pound of produce - make sure to weigh items in bags and get the heavier bags! If the sale price is per item (like lettuce - $.69 each) - weigh a few and get the heaviest one. ***Remember, keep an eye on the deals for FROZEN produce too! It's healthier than canned and can be VERY cost effective. Fruit Avocados (ya'd think they were a veggie!) Rhubarb - some call it a veggie...but It's a pie/jam fruit! Mangoes Pineapple Early Strawberries Vegetables - start looking fo...

It's the end of the month -- time to check and update your Freezer Inventory! There are a lot of perks to having a chest freezer: you can take better advantage of sales on things that need to be frozen, buy more meat on sale and bake larger quantities of treats for future use. It really does pay for itself when you consider how small a freezer is in a freezer/fridge combo unit. One thing I have been asked, is "how do you know what you have in your freezer?" Simple. I have an inventory list! At the beginning of the month, I have a complete list of what is in it. As the month progresses, I cross off what we use, and write in what we add. At the end of the month, I put a * next to the original items on the list, pull off what we used and add in what we bought to have a fresh new list for the new month. The * tells me it is an older item and I need to try to use it first. If it doesn't get used that second month it becomes a ** item and HAS to be used the thir...

Everyone knows that produce is seasonal...if you have taken my Coupon Clipping 101 class you have heard me talk about pantry items being seasonal too! In March I covered the Frozen Food Jackpot, we chatted about Easter Clearance items in April, BBQ supplies in May/June, July brought the Ice Cream items, then came the back to school rush... We know it's smart to wait until a product is on sale and then stock up! The idea is to create a stockpile that will last you 3-12 months, or until the product again reaches its lowest price. (Not that you can do that with fresh produce unless your process it!) Convenience/Packaged Foods are seasonal just like produce! Every month we have new things to look for. Here is what is "hot" for April - keep your eyes out for the sales and have your coupons ready. April is the Day AFTER Easter! It's the last hurrah on baking items until after Labor Day, so grab last minute deals on everything from Sugar to Marshmallows. Trust...

Now that there is the new Balance Rewards program - you have to remember what they are worth to figure out if you are looking at a bargain or not. They will STILL have some deals that earn the Register Rewards that we are used to - but some deals will offer points. Here is the chart: You need to read this post HERE if you are not familiar with this program yet.   2-Liter Ten Products ~ $1 ~ 75¢/1 Q ~ Spring Flavor Saver ~ 3/3 (Expires 3/31) ~ Pay 25¢ OOP ~ Get back $1 in RR ~ Final cost is a 75¢ MM   Sorry, that is it  

Thanks to Didie for this week's list! Coupon Color Decoder: ~Pink = Facebook Coupon , you'll have to have a Facebook account to print these IPs! ~Green = ibotta offers ~Purple = Rebates ~Light Blue = Scanner coupon or CVS Retailer Coupon, you'll know it's a CVS coupon because the barcode will always start with the number 4! ~Red = These are general coupons, they could be from an insert, a tearpad, a booklet, peelie, or an IP and start with the number 5 or 9. FREE ~ Rescue Sleep or Rescue Pearls 28ct $8.99 Get $8.99 ECB Limit 1 FREE after ECB ~ Clear Hair Care $4.99 FREE Clear Hair Care scanner coupon printing week of 3/31 $1.25 for Clear Men Scalp Therapy 2 in 1 Shampoo + Conditioner, all Varieties, 12.9oz (ibotta offer) $1.25 for CLEAR Scalp & Hair Beauty Therapy Shampoo or Conditioner, 12.7oz+ (ibotta offer) FREE after scanner coupon *counts toward beauty club $1.25 MM with ibotta ~ Revlon cosmetics or beauty tools (ANY, excludes clearan...

You can find them here -- at Totally Target. Make sure you thank Kerry for her great work! :) Happy Shopping!

Master Price List and Tips Here: The ad this week is full of a lot of organization themed items to help with that Spring Cleaning! They also have items for rounding out that holiday meal this weekend or lovely potted spring plants for the perfect host gift! :) Now, let's talk produce specials! Asparagus $1.49/# - GREAT price! Baby Carrots $.49/# Green bell pepper 3-pack $.99 Navel Oranges $1.49 for a 4# bag Whole Pineapple $1.49 Cantaloupe $1.29 each Don't forget your bags or the quarter you need to get a grocery cart out of hock for your shopping trip (you get the quarter back when you return the cart to cart jail).

I like to start with my coupons for this -- how many of each do I have for the items that are in the ad? I have: Keebler Colgate Bear Creek Tropicana Farm Stand Fresh Express Kings Hawaiian Lever Miracle Whip Buddig Suave Cascade I am dreading the "Easter Egg Hunt" tomorrow AM but am looking forward to a few good deals- Transaction 1: 10 Fresh Express Salad Blends (If Ceasar Kits are included) $2.00 -(10) $.75/1 coupons (doubled) 2 dozen eggs -BOGO coupon from ad 2 pounds Roundy's butter -BOGO coupon from ad Final price? $40.26 for 7.68 Transaction 2: 4 Lever 2000 Bars (2 ct.) @ $2.00 each 4 Suave Body Wash @ $1.75 each Use (2) $1/1 Lever 2000 Bar or Body Wash printable (doubled), (2) $1/1 Lever 2000 Bar or Body Wash printable (doubled), (2) $0.50/1 Suave Body Wash from 3/10 RP and (1) $1/2 Suave Men Body Wash from the 3/24 RP 3 Kings Hawaiian @$2.50 (3) $1.00/1 doubled 2 dozen eggs -BOGO coupon from ad 2 pounds Roundy's butter -...

Here is a list of the current offers -- they are simply rewards you get, after you buy a product or combination of products. It comes in the form a coupon with a cash value for your next shopping experience. Cool - right? Simply print the ones you are interested in - they have all the details on them AND you can have them in your hands when you check out, just in case you didn't get it after you paid for the items. **This is a sponsored post. My "affiliate" income helps me support my church's food pantry and Homeless Mission Blessing Bag program. Thank you for your support**

Registration is open!   This is a conference that I am the "anchor" of -- I give my speech at the end (mainly because I am in Fond Du Lac that morning with 3 different classes...). Some GREAT topics are going to be covered as the 2013 Conference theme is “Imagine, Plan, Achieve Your Financial Goals.” A very POWERful line up with  TWO keynote speakers, lunch (but alas, no breakfast) and extending the breaks so there’s more time for networking and the Pampering Room. (Yes, we said pampering room!)   All the information is on the website: www.moneysmartwomenwi.com . Space is limited, registration cost is $25 in advance and $35 at the door.

It looks like there will be two inserts in the paper this weekend ... a SmartSource and a RedPlum. You can check out what coupons are on the national line up -- but keep in mind that we may see slightly different ones in our own area. Want more coupons? Here is an easy way to get them: COUPON CLIPPING SERVICES You can always use a clipping service to get more insert coupons or ones that were not available in your local paper. I recommend these 4 sites Now that the Dollar Tree no longer carries the Sunday paper for $1.00 - it's time to talk discount subscriptions. (sigh) Check it out HERE to see if you have any special offers in your area. **This is a sponsored post. My "affiliate" income helps me support my church's food pantry and Homeless Mission Blessing Bag program. Thank you for your support**